Important Deadlines

Internal Application: Please submit a complete draft of your Rhodes application, including 5-8 letters of recommendation, via email to jennifer[dot]locke[at]pomona.edu by September 5, 2014. Your personal statement must be in its final form and uploaded to the Rhodes site by the 5th; you may not make any further changes to the statement after that date. Applicants must also submit in hard copy to the CDO a signed form indicating that the personal statement is final and already uploaded to the Rhodes site (contact Jennifer Locke for the form if you need it).

Purpose

The Rhodes Scholarships are awarded to outstanding scholars who show promise of contributing significantly to the world around them, particularly in the performance of public service. Thirty-two are awarded in the U.S. each year. British Commonwealth citizens apply through their home countries, which often have earlier deadlines.

Programs Funded

The award supports two years (with a possibility of extension to a third year) of full-time study toward a graduate degree or degrees at the University of Oxford, England. Completing a second Bachelor's degree is sometimes appropriate, though in recent years only a small minority of Rhodes Scholars follow this route. It is also possible to receive the award for a one-year graduate course of study under certain circumstances. The scholarship covers tuition and fees plus a maintenance allowance and round-trip travel.

Eligibility

U.S. citizens must be at least 18 and not yet 24 years old by October 1st of the year of application, and hold a bachelor's degree by the time they take up the scholarship. Commonwealth citizens should check the age requirements for their countries, which vary. Application deadlines also vary and in countries other than the U.S. may be much earlier. Pomona College works with Pomona students and graduates of all eligible nationalities.

Selection Criteria

Proven intellectual and academic achievement of a high standard is the first quality demanded of applicants, but they are also required to show integrity of character, courage, selflessness, interest in and respect for their fellow beings, the ability to lead, and the energy to use their talents to the fullest. Athletic participation was for many years a requirement, but today this criterion is expressed as the physical vigor necessary to lead an active life of service and accomplishment. There is no formal minimum GPA but most Rhodes Scholars in recent years have had near-perfect undergraduate GPAs.

Application/Nomination Process

Internal Application

Please submit a complete draft of your Rhodes application, including 5-8
letters of recommendation, via email to
jennifer[dot]locke[at]pomona.edu by September 5, 2014. Your personal
statement must be in its final form and uploaded to the Rhodes site by
the 5th; you may not make any further changes to the statement after
that date. Applicants must also submit in hard copy to the CDO a signed
form indicating that the personal statement is final and already
uploaded to the Rhodes site (contact Jennifer Locke for the form if you
need it).

Please instruct your 5-8 letter writers to email their letters to Jennifer Locke as well. Interviews will be held on campus in September. Pomona can endorse an unlimited number of candidates.

Potential applicants are encouraged to look into the other UK fellowships with similar deadlines and requirements, and to discuss the potential for multiple applications with the Advisor. Use these resources to explore degree programs at universities in the UK.

Letters of Reference

Note on Personal Statements

According to new Rhodes Scholarships policies, Rhodes application personal statements may not be reviewed by anyone other than the writer herself. Please do not show your personal statement to anyone; doing so could disqualify you from the competition.

The Rhodes Trust has put together a video with advice on constructing your personal statement.